The UK loses £48 billion per year due to a lack of languages skills*. Employers need multilingual communicators who can speak with people on the same cultural wavelength. Becoming a Birmingham languages graduate takes you there.

In an increasingly globalised world, international businesses need employees who can both speak the language and understand the history, politics and culture of the region. You will choose to study one or two languages to a high level (French, German, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese and Hispanic Studies - Spanish and Portuguese), and complement your language studies with a sophisticated understanding of Business Management.

Our Department of Modern Languages is ranked in the Top 100 in the QS World University Rankings 2018. Our programme is one of the most comprehensive in the UK, which will equip you for a huge range of careers, both in this country and abroad.

EU referendum

Matt

“I chose to study at Birmingham as it is a beautiful and vibrant campus located in an exciting city. I picked the course for the variation in the content and the vast range of skills that would be gained from doing so. The outcome has been just that! No two days are the same doing the course; one day you can be number crunching for corporate finance, and the next reading poetry- it really is a course with a lot of variety. ”

This degree is designed to provide both academic excellence and vocational development; a balance that’s highly sought after by employers in today's intellectual, business and creative industries.

Our BA Modern Languages with Business Management programme is one of the broadest and diverse in the UK, allowing you to specialise more and more as you progress. At Birmingham, you’ll benefit from an intellectually challenging and stimulating environment for your undergraduate studies, focused on ensuring you’re a fully supported and active learner.

One third of your degree will take place in our dynamic and internationally focused Birmingham Business School. We were the country’s first dedicated business school and we have strong links with local, national and global businesses such as Deloitte, KPMG, PwC and Ernst & Young. As a result, our degree programmes retain a strong practical focus as well as exploring theoretical aspects.

To accompany your studies in Business Management, you can choose to specialise in one or two Modern Languages:

We are unable to offer some combinations due to timetabling, which you can read about here.

Why study this course

Innovative language study - The target-language core module pioneers a blended approach to your linguistic development, as your cultural knowledge is developed through the medium of your target language. In addition to linguistic and cultural fluency, the department also offers optional vocational modules in areas such as translation and business. We pride ourselves on competitive contact hours of 6 hours per week for advanced language study and 8 hours per week for beginner language study.

Focusing on the latest language learning technology - As well as placing a greater emphasis upon using technology in the classroom, we recently constructed a state-of-the-art Interpreting Suite, which opened in Spring 2018, and uses technology similar to those used by the United Nations.

Superb employability rates - 90% of our students enter work or further study within six months of graduation (DLHE 2017). Our strong links with industry mean that rigorous undergraduate academic study is combined with a real practical focus, leading to excellent job opportunities for our students. By choosing Modern Languages, you are entering an excellent field with almost limitless opportunities and benefits. In addition, the Department’s ‘Modern Languages Professionals Week’ in the first year features workshops and talks from former students who are using their languages for a 21st century global workplace in business, the not-for-profit sector, the arts, translation and interpreting, and education.

Travel opportunities - The degree programme is four years in length, and you will spend your third year abroad studying, teaching or working abroad before returning to Birmingham for your final year. Depending upon your chosen language(s), you may also have the opportunity to participate in a a vacation course or a subsidised trip to St Petersburg for an intensive language programme for beginners in Russian.

Active student societies - Join one of our language and business student societies or our student magazine, The UoB Linguist Magazine. Develop your skills outside your teaching, make new friends who share your interests and attend diverse extra-curricular events to become a well-rounded linguist with diverse business capabilities.

Modules

Please note: The modules listed on the website for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. Unless indicated otherwise, the modules listed for this programme are for students starting in 2019. On rare occasions, we may need to make unexpected changes to compulsory modules; in this event we will contact offer holders as soon as possible to inform or consult them as appropriate.

Modern Languages (two thirds of your degree)

The range of modules available to you does depend on your chosen languages and the combinations you choose to study. Explore our My Choices app to download a personalised prospectus to include our Business Management minor, and discover more about the modules available to you within each language area.

Business Management minor (one third of your degree)

Year 1

Your first year will develop your understanding of business management both theoretically and practically. You will take the following compulsory modules:

Introduction to Financial Analysis (10 credits)

Business Organisation and Management (10 credits)

Introduction to Economics (10 credits)

Introduction to Marketing (10 credits)

Year 2

You will build upon what you have learnt in Year 1, applying it to real-world professional contexts:

International Economy (10 credits)

Human Resource Management (10 credits)

Financial Decision-Making (10 credits)

Global Marketing (10 credits)

Year 3

During the Year Abroad, your Business Management studies are effectively put on hold, and your year abroad will look like that of any other student of languages. If you choose to study at a university abroad, you may be able to choose some Business modules at your chosen institution. If you are studying French, German, Spanish or Italian - you may wish to undertake at least one Work Placement abroad.

Final Year

In year four, you will broaden your understanding of the main areas of debate in the field of Business Management:

Corporate Finance (10 credits)

Innovation Management (10 credits)

Supply Chain Management (10 credits)

Strategic Management (10 credits)

Fees and funding

For UK students beginning their studies in September 2019, the University of Birmingham will charge the maximum approved tuition fee per year. The fees for your first year of study will therefore be £9,250. Visit our tuition fees page for more information.

International students:

We welcome applications from international students and invite you to join our vibrant community of over 4500 international students who represent 150 different countries. We accept a range of qualifications, our country pages show you what qualifications we accept from your country.

Depending on your chosen course of study, you may also be interested in one of our foundation pathways, which offer specially structured programmes for international students whose qualifications are not accepted for direct entry to UK universities. Further details can be found on Birmingham International Academy web pages.

How to apply

Important information: When completing your UCAS application, please indicate your proposed languages under 'Further Details' in the 'Choices' section of the application by using the following codes, separated by a space.

Please Note: Modern Languages with Business Management (R9N1) is a different UCAS code to our BA Modern Languages programme (R901).

Key Information Set (KIS)

Key Information Sets (KIS) are comparable sets of information about full- or part-time undergraduate courses and are designed to meet the information needs of prospective students.

All KIS information has been published on the Unistats website and can also be accessed via the small advert, or ‘widget’, below. On the Unistats website you are able to compare all the KIS data for each course with data for other courses.

The development of Key Information Sets (KIS) formed part of HEFCE’s work to enhance the information that is available about higher education. They give you access to reliable and comparable information in order to help you make informed decisions about what and where to study.

The KIS contains information which prospective students have identified as useful, such as student satisfaction, graduate outcomes, learning and teaching activities, assessment methods, tuition fees and student finance, accommodation and professional accreditation.

University of Birmingham students are part of an academic elite and learn from world-leading experts. We will challenge you to become an independent and self-motivated learner, qualities that are highly sought after by employers.

You will have a diverse learning experience, including:

lectures

small group tutorials

independent study

and peer group learning, such as delivering presentations with your classmates

Support

You will have access to a comprehensive support system to help you make the transition to Higher Education.

Personal tutors - You will be assigned your own personal tutor who will get to know you as you progress through your studies. They will provide academic support and advice to enable you to make the most of your time here at Birmingham.

Welfare tutors - We have dedicated welfare tutors who provide professional support, advice and guidance to students across a range of issues. They can meet with you to discuss extensions, disabilities, reasonable adjustments, extenuating circumstances, or talk through any problems you might be experiencing, and help you access wider support on campus and beyond.

Academic Skills Centre - The centre aims to help you become a more effective and independent learner through a range of high-quality support services. The centre offers workshops on a range of topics, such as note-taking, reading, academic writing and presentation skills.

Academic Writing Advisory Service (AWAS) - the AWAS team will provide guidance on writing essays and dissertations at University-level. You will receive individual support from an academic writing advisor and meet with postgraduate tutors who specialise in particular subjects. Support is given in a variety of ways, such as small-group workshops, online activities, tutorials and email correspondence.

Student experience - Our Student Experience Team will help you get the most out of your academic experience. They will offer research opportunities, study skills support and help you prepare for your post-university careers. They will also organise social events, such as field trips, to help you meet fellow students from your course.

During your first year it is important that you have a smooth transition into university. You will be able to talk to your tutors about this and discuss if there are particular areas where you need support.

Teaching staff

Students at the University of Birmingham are taught by a mixture of professors, senior lecturers, lecturers and doctoral researchers, thereby receiving a rich diversity of academic knowledge and experience. Many of our teaching staff have published important works about their areas of expertise, whilst others have taught at international institutions and can offer unique perspectives of their subjects.

You can find out more about the members of staff (including their qualifications, publication history and specific areas of interest) in their academic profiles linked below.

Language laboratory sessions allow you to practise your listening and spoken skills and are an essential part of all our language programmes.

Contact hours

Depending on the modules you select, each week you will have between 15 and 18 hours of lectures and classes, with lecturers on hand to answer additional questions outside this timeframe.

Assessment methods

Assessments - you will be assessed in a variety of ways to help you transition to a new style of learning. At the beginning of each module, you will be given information on how and when you will be assessed. Assessments methods will vary with each module and could include:

coursework, such as essays

group and individual presentations

and formal exams

Feedback - you will receive feedback on each assessment within four weeks, so you can learn from each assignment. You will also be given feedback on any exams that you take. If you should fail an exam, we will ensure that particularly detailed feedback is provided to help you prepare for future exams.

The Year Abroad will make up 6.25% of your degree. In terms of assessment, students going to a university or summer school will be assessed by their assessment marks abroad, and those undertaking a teaching or work placement will be required to submit a piece of work related to their experience, in order to progress into final year.

90% of our students enter work or further study within six months of graduation (DLHE 2017).

Modern Languages and Business Management graduates have a range of skills and knowledge that are highly prized by graduate employers:

A deep awareness understanding and appreciation of other cultures and core topics in Business Management

Strong oral and written communication skills in English and one or more other languages

Critical thinking skills, alongside the ability to research, analyse and interpret the information that you have gathered

Independence and experience of living abroad

Leadership and teamwork

Handling complex information

The ability to form concise and articulate arguments

Managing your time effectively and prioritising your workload

Example employers:

Amazon.fr

Capita

Harper Collins

Deutsche Bank

Royal Bank of Scotland

Aura Financial

British Airways

Deloiette

HSBC

Pricewaterhouse Coopers

The British Council

French Connection

NATO

BP

Educational institutions in the UK and overseas

Local and central government

Our graduates are highly employable and go in to an incredibly wide range of careers, both in this country and abroad.

Example roles:

Editorial Project Leader

Teacher

International Sales Coordinator

Investigation Specialist

Operations Analyst

Consultant

Marketing Officer

Account Executive

Account Planner

Example further study programmes include:

PgDip Education

MA Social Work

PGCE (various)

Graduate Diploma in Law

MA Hispanic Studies

MA Translation Studies

MSc International Business

Our graduates enter the wide range of careers similar to other arts, humanities and business graduates but with much greater scope in international settings. The Modern Languages curriculum also has an increased focus on professional development in areas such as; presenting, CV-building, debating, and developing digital projects in the target language.

You will benefit from events in both departments whereby graduates return to campus to talk to current students about their careers, how to find opportunities and the wide variety of roles available to linguists and business management graduates.

Developing your career

Employers target University of Birmingham students for their diverse skill-set and our graduate employment statistics have continued to climb at a rate well above national trends. If you make the most of our wide range of opportunities you will be able to develop your career from the moment you arrive.

Careers events - we hold events covering careers in teaching, event management, marketing and working with charities to help you meet potential employers and learn more about these sectors.

Global Challenge - you can apply to work overseas on an expenses-paid placement during your summer vacation through our Global Challenge initiative.

Work experience bursary - we encourage you to apply your skills in the workplace by undertaking internships in the summer. Our work experience bursaries allow you to apply for funding to support you during unpaid internships.

Cultural Internships - our innovative Cultural Internships offer graduates the opportunity for a six month paid internship at a leading cultural institution in the West Midlands. These internships will give you professional experience to set you apart in a competitive graduate market. Our current partners include Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, Birmingham REP, Birmingham Royal Ballet, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust, Library of Birmingham.

There are also internships available at our own cultural assets, such as Winterbourne House, the Lapworth Museum, and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts.

Extra-curricular activities

To enhance your career prospects even further, you will need to think about engaging in some extra-curricular activities to broaden your skills and network of contacts.

Undergraduate Research Scholarship Scheme - our College of Arts and Law Undergraduate Research Scholarship Scheme enables interested students to work on a current academic research project being run by one of our academic researchers. Undergraduate research scholars gain work experience over the summer after their first or second year and have the chance to develop skills in both collaborative and independent research.

Clubs and societies

Student Experience Officers

Our Student Experience Officers will help you get the most out of your academic experience. They will offer research opportunities, study skills support and help you prepare for your post-university careers. They will also organise social events, such as field trips, to help you meet fellow students from your course.

Accommodation

Coming to Birmingham might be your first time living away from home. Our student accommodation will allow you to enjoy your new-found independence in safe, welcoming and sociable surroundings.

The City of Birmingham

Our students fall in love with the city - around 40% of our graduates choose to make Birmingham their home.

International students

The University of Birmingham has been welcoming international students onto our campus since 1900.

We have one of the largest and most vibrant international student communities in the UK, with 5,000 international students from more than 150 different countries and 31% of our academic staff from overseas.

If you would like further information about entry requirements, how to apply and funding options, then you can visit our international students webpage. You may also wish to take a virtual tour of our campus and watch the video below to hear our international students say their favourite thing about the University of Birmingham.